


Digitale Adventures

by LannaMisho



Category: Digimon - All Media Types, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crossover, Alternate Universe - Grouptale (Undertale), Nonbinary Frisk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-07-06 03:52:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15877968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LannaMisho/pseuds/LannaMisho
Summary: What is summer camp without snow, earthquakes, and a whole lot of Monsters? I don't think this was in the brochure...Frisk wasn't sure what to expect on their first day of camp, but this wasn't it. When the world opens up beneath them, Frisk and their new friends are all swallowed up into a strange world of digital monsters.





	1. 201X - Camp Mt. Ebott

**Author's Note:**

> I have been working on a Undertale Digimon crossover almost since Undertale first came out. As such, I have gone out of my way to not check on any other Undertale/Digimon crossovers. Which means this has an equal chance of being an original take AND/OR the exact same thing everyone else has already done. But I don't care! I have worked on this idea too long and now that I finally have the time to type it up, I'm gonna do it. Hopefully, you will enjoy it. 
> 
> Six Souls: The human children are a mix of the original digidestined + The souls ball/items/in-game flavor text + an altered backstory. I wanted to keep them from feeling too much like OCs while still giving them the room to grown into their own characters.

Frisk couldn’t help but think it was just their luck. Snow. On their first day of summer camp. They certainly weren’t dressed for it!

The freak weather had come on suddenly, coating the entire forest in at least a foot of snow in just under a few minutes. The worn out path they'd been following was completely buried and Frisk wished again their mom had dropped them off at the actual camp instead of the base of the mountain. Still, even though the snow was cold against their bare legs, the bright summer sun was quickly bringing up the temperature and Frisk brushed off the snow that had piled on their head, trudging upwards.

Ahead, Frisk could hear the sound of other children playing. Someone was yelling about starting a snowball fight and someone else wanted to build a snowman. Frisk didn't fight the excitement that filled them as they forced their feet through the snow faster, ignoring the wet sensation growing through their socks. A real summer camp! They'd never gone to a summer camp before but they'd always wanted too. Sleeping in a tent, learning to fish, and spending the whole summer with new friends. They find them self running and refused to stop until they burst out into a clearing. 

The forest towards the top of Mt. Ebott had been cleared away to make room for the little summer camp. Camp Ebott was a popular and well known summer camp and it was easy to see why. From where they were, Frisk could already see a couple of large buildings around and a playground. In the distance was a chain link fence probably guarding what looked like a pool and a volleyball net destroyed under the snow. Frisk's classmates had talked about a lake for canoeing, and trails through the forest, and campfires at night-! But more then any of that, the most important thing was the other kids running back and forth, snow flying through the air. Frisk felt their soul squeeze with excitement. 

Bolting forward, Frisk scooped up some of the snow and packed it into a tight ball before lobbing it at the nearest kid running past them. The boy yelped, the snow catching him on the shoulder and some sliding down the back of his shirt. He spun around, eyes blazing with challenge. Once he caught sight of Frisk: it was on. 

“Think you can catch me off guard, huh!?” More snow was scooped and Frisk turned to run towards the others. The snow made movement difficult. There was no dodging the attack. Cold exploded on the back of their neck and they shrieked out a laugh.

A hand wrapped around their arm and suddenly pulled them down into a hollow they haven’t noticed dug into the snow. Another boy was hiding there, wearing a wide-rimmed cowboy hat. He made a shushing motion and Frisk nodded.

The boy held his hat in place as he peered up over the top of the snow. “Good timing. We're getting pummeled!” he laughed, handing them a new snow ball. “Welcome to the team. It’s everyone vs the only guy who brought gloves to a snowball fight!”

Frisked peeked over the snow at their first opponent. He was indeed wearing a pair of tough-looking gloves. Probably not the best for making snowballs, but Frisks fingers were already starting to ache from the cold and they could imagine the benefit.The rest of his outfit consisted of an orange tank top and shorts, but that didn't seem to bother him at all. He lunged over another snow pile and nearly landed on a tall black girl wearing a pink ballerina leotard under a light pair of gray sweatpants. 

“Victory!” He yelled as the girl scrambled out of the way. 

“I don’t even want to play!” She yelled, jumping out of her no-longer-protective cover and trying to avoid the barrage of snow. 

The cowboy jumped up launching his own ammo. "Max! Leave Lu out of this!” Frisk jumped up to help, throwing with all their might. “She doesn't want to play!” 

The glove boy stopped immediately, looking sheepish, before turning to Frisk and their new friend with a grin. 

“Oops,” Cowboy said, before immediately taking off. “Split up!”

Frisk jumped, running in the opposite direction. Gloves made an immediate beeline for Cowboy and Frisk had a minute to try getting their fingers warmed up. Someone came running out of a nearby cabin. It was a much older boy with ash skin and dark curls, carrying a frying pan that let off steam. The ballerina passed him on her way inside and took something. Frisk headed in that direction. 

“- and they're all going to get hypothermia.” the girl was saying, holding something cuddled to her chest like it was something important. 

“You're worrying to much, Lu. The teachers will be right back with some warmer clothes. For now, let me hand out the rest of these.” He turned with a kind smile to Frisk as they approached. “Oh, hi. Who are you?” He laughed. “Never mind, take this.” It was a hot potato wrapped in foil. 

You got a Hot Potato. 

The potato wasn't so hot it burned, but it felt great against their fingers. They snuggled it for a minute before putting it in their pocket, ready to rejoin the game. 

“Here, can you give this one to…” He crocheted down so his eyes lined up with Frisks and pointed to a girl in the snow, wearing a baggy pair of overalls over a light blue tee shirt. “…that girl right there?” 

Frisk nodded and half ran, half hopped, through the snow in the girls direction. The girl was stuffing the front part of her overalls with snowballs. Frisk dropped behind the tiny snow shelter and waved. The girl nodded at them with a serious expression. Frisk offered her the potato, but she shook her head. “It’ll melt my snowballs.” 

Frisk wanted to argue, but didn’t have the chance before the girl stood up. She was small, smaller then Frisk who already small for their age, and much smaller then any of the other children. Still, she walked around the snow barrier with serious confidence. “Max!”

Gloves spun around in response but the girl didn’t give him any other warning before she shot forward across the snow, pelting him with her pre-made ammunition. The snow supported her weight much better, barely sinking with each step. making her much faster then the rest of them. Gloves dropped to gather more snow, but there was no way he could either keep up with her quantity or her speed as she circled around him. 

“Go Yvette!” yelled Cowboy Hat from the sidelines joined by the nice boy with food. Gloves yelled as he was pelted with snow, until he finally dropped down and waved one of his arms in surrender. 

“Okay! Okay! I give! It’s cold!” 

The snow stopped immediately, as everyone cheered. Frisk jumped up and down, laughing happily. They had never won a snowball fight before. 

The cheering went on for a minute, while Cowboy helped Gloves back up and they both congratulated Overalls. Ballerina began waving her arms. “Great! Game over. Now everyone come get something warm before you all freeze! Milo made us some warm potatos.” 

Frisk joined the other kids in front of the building and around Nice Boy. Everyone was chatting happily, giving thanks for the food, although most of them were cuddling it instead of eating.

“Geez! I didn’t realize how cold I was!” Said Gloves. His clothes were still covered in snow, so Frisk reached over and brushed some off. He smiled. “Thanks! By the way, where did you come from anyway?” 

Everyone turned to Frisk as they pointed to the forest, in the general direction they came from. The other kids were quiet for a minute, exchanging glances. Finally, Nice Boy tilted his head. “That's one of the trails. Were you on a hike?” 

Frisk shook their head. "Mom dropped me off."

“Oh! You’re new!" Nice Boy shook their hand with both of his. His smile was as warm as his potatoes. "Sorry, the councilors aren’t here right now, they ran to town to get a bunch of emergency winter clothes. I’m Milo. And I’m in charge of this cabin while the adults are gone, because I’m the oldest. This is Lu, she’s my second in command.” He motioned to the ballerina, who curtsied. “I’m sure you know Max by now.” He motioned to the boy with the gloves who wrapped their arm around Frisk's shoulders. 

“Heck yeah! That’s because we're already best friends, right?” Frisk looked up at him with wide eyes. “What’s that look for?" He asked, looking offended. "We’re friends right?” Frisk nodded quickly, feeling their brain rattle hard against the inside of their skull. “Cool. So who're you?”

“Hold on Max,” Milo interrupted. “We should finish our introductions first. Next to him is J.C.”

Cowboy tipped his hat with a wink. “Nice to meet you.” He eyes were a pretty hazel, with shaggy blond hair. 

“Our champion of snow here is Yvette.” The little girl nodded, rubbing at her bright red nose. She was also blond, but it was a much lighter color almost white. It was long and straight, with neat bangs, the sides pulled back with a red ribbon, keeping them just out of her face. Milo did a quick head count, frowned, then looked back at the cabin. “Resse? Are you still inside?” 

There was a muffled affirmative before the door opened and another older kid wearing a pair of big cloudy-looking glasses came out. “Aren't any of you concerned about the fact that its snowing in July? I'm not sure we should be playing in it.”

“That’s Resse.” Milo explained, otherwise ignoring him. "Reese, this is- um, our new friend!"

"Frisk!" Frisk exclaimed, excited. Milo called them a friend too! They were already making new friends. 

Max grinned, leaning on them a little heavily. "By the way. Are you a girl or a boy? I can't tell."

"Max!" J.C hissed, looking annoyed. 

Frisk hesitated, before shaking their head. They really hated that question. They didn't know how to answer it and that made people mad at them. 

"Oh, do you use 'they' pronouns?" Reese asked, pushing up his glasses. 

J.C knocked Max off and excitedly grabbed Frisks hands. "You use 'they' pronouns!?" 

Frisk stared at him wide eyed, nodding surprised. That was right. No one had ever put it into words before, but that was right. They liked 'they'. 

"Oh, that's so cool!" J.C beamed for another second before he realized he was still holding Frisk's hands and dropped them with a blush. "S-Sorry." 

"What does that mean? Why is it cool?" Max demanded, shoving J.C out of the way. 

"It means, they don't identify as a boy or a girl. We should use 'they'."

"Oh, I've heard of that before." Lu said, thinking about it. "I think there's a girl in my- I mean, a kid in my school that does that." 

"Okay," Max said with a shrug. "But why is it cool?"

J.C glared at him. "Because it's really brave to be open about it."

Max thought about it for another moment, then grinned widely, grabbing Frisk again. "Well, yeah! What do you expect? My new buddies the bravest, just like me!" He jostled them, but Frisk was too busy being overwhelmed by their acceptance. They should have known older kids would know all sorts of things, but no one had ever been so understand before. 

"What about me? I'm brave!" J.C pouted, before getting looped under Max’s other arm. 

"Well, yeah. You're my buddy too!" 

"Is everyone warming up?" Lu asked, changing the subject. "We should probably head inside until the adults get back." Her advice was met with a clatter of resistance. "I'm serious! Milo!"

He looked surprised before remembering he was in charge, and running his fingers through his curly hair. "Oh, I don't know. I think everyone's doing fine." 

"What!? You heard Reese! The snow could be dangerous!" 

"Well, I didn't exactly say that," Reese corrected. "Weather abnormality are unusual, but I'm more concerned there could be another storm."

"Another storm!?"

"Guys." They all looked over at the voice that called them. Yvette was standing a few feet away and once she had their attention, she pointed up at the sky. "Look at that."

Above them, the sky was alight with ribbons of light and colors. A hush fell over them as they looked up in awe. “Is that... an aurora?” Lu questioned, clutching at the strap of her duffel bag. 

“This far south? That doesn’t seem very likely.” Reese replied in disbelief. 

Then the colors began to swirl around in the sky, slowly giving way to a strange green vortex spinning wildly. Nothing about it looked natural, but the bright colors were mesmerizing. The vortex spun faster and faster until suddenly, Frisk realized something had gotten spit out and was hurtling right at them!

"Watch out!” They yelled, too late as the little meteors suddenly showered down on them, kicking up a cloud of snow that made it impossible to see, as everyone screamed and tried to dodge. Frisk dropped down and covered their head, getting buried in snow once again. 

The onslaught only lasted a few seconds before it was over. Frisk sat up, looking around. "What was that?" Milo asked , sounding terrified. "That was so scary!"

“Is everyone alright?” Lu said quickly, the first to get back to her feet. "No ones hurt? Yvette? Frisk?" She helped them back to their feet, checking them both over concerned. Frisk tried to reassure her, but Yvette was more concerned about the things that fell from the sky. 

So were the others. "What was that...?" Max asked, looking into one of the holes. 

"Whatever they are, they could have killed us.” Lu nudged the hole with one of her pointed toes. A light sprang from the hole and she jumped back. 

Curious, each of the children approached a different glowing hole. Frisk carefully dug into the snow until they found something smooth and warm. It was some sort of device. It was gold, with two little black buttons on one side and a large one on the other. It was small and heart-shaped, fitting comfortably in their hand, with a long gold chain attached to the top. 

"Where did these come from?" Reese asked confused, turning an identical item over in his hand before looking up at the sky. "This doesn't make any sense..." 

“Kinda looks like some kind of video game,” Max muttered pressing button in a random order. He pushed down the top and the two sides slid to the side, reveling a little screen underneath. "It is a game!" 

Frisk clicked the top as well, finding a little grey screen. It did seem like a small hand-held game device, although Frisk had never owned one. They pressed a button and the screen began to glow a bright red. Around them the rest of the divices reacted the same way, broadcasting different colors startling the children. 

The earthquake came without warning. One second the children were examining the little devices, the next the ground had opened wide beneath them and they were falling. Frisk was surrounded on all sides by the screams of their new friends and complete darkness.

The ground swallowed them whole.


	2. Chapter 2

_The apartment widows shuddered, threatening to break from the force of the explosion outside. Frisk was startled awake, the violent vibrations nearly shaking them right out of bed. Bright lights flashed outside their window, followed by the sounds of gunshots._

_Frisk scrambled out of bed and raced to the window. The ledge was too high, even when they jumped and tried to climb up. Not giving up, they hurried out to the living room, nearly falling as the apartment itself shook beneath them. The explosions continued as they threw open the front door and ran down the hallway. They could hear their neighbors shouting confused as they raced down the hall and stepping out onto the small, third floor balcony._

_The road in front of their house was lined with cop cars and policemen. They were pointing and shouting, guns rising. Frisk grabbed the bars of the railing as the wind whipped around them. Above them helicopters circled, bright spotlights illuminating something in the sky. Something big, with white fur and large horns and…_

“FRISK!” 

Frisk was startled awake by someone screaming their name and roughly shaking them. It took them a few seconds to realize that it was one of the kids from camp, Milo. He was leaning over them, tears in his eyes as he shook them, his curls bouncing. Frisk would have thought it looked funny, if he wasn’t clearly so upset. 

“Milo, stop!” Lu shouted, running up to kneel next to them. She also looked close to tears, although Frisk was a little too rattled to say anything. They were distracted by two strange, floating creatures that came up behind her, but they didn’t have the chance to ask about it before she was yelling again. “They could have a spinal injury or something! You could be making it worse!” 

Milo released them, looking horrified. “I-I’m sorry-! I didn’t mean too-“ Frisk quickly shook their hands trying to let him know they were ok. The boy sniffed and rubbed his eyes. “I thought- when I saw you like this I thought- never mind. I’m just glad you’re ok.” 

Lu reached over and shoved him out of the way, looking down at them. “Are you ok? We all fell really far. It’s a miracle we even survived. Does anything hurt? I’ve got a first aid kit.” She jostled her duffle bag slightly. 

Frisk gave her an uncertain thumbs up, before sitting up. Milo tried to help, but Lu stopped him, letting Frisk test them self out. They felt okay. They were a little sore from the fall, but besides a little dirt they were fine. No broken bones, maybe some bruising, but that wasn't a big deal. They brushed the dirt off their sleeves as they looked around. 

They were in some sort of dark cave. Below them was a bed of yellow flowers. Exceptionally far above them was a small opening, that filtered in a little bit of light. The fauna must have broken their fall, but Lu was right. That was an awfully long way to go. The only other things in the room was the exit Milo and Lu had come from and the two floating creatures from earlier. 

They hovered around just behind Lu’s head, not that she was paying them any attention. The first one was some kind of skull of some sort. It had a snout sort of like a dog, but much wider and with large sharp teeth. Despite that Frisk didn't feel scared. It had such big, expressive eyes, that were obviously concerned about Frisks well-being. The second one was clearly a fish. A floating fish with blue hair and a naturally sad face. It also looked concerned, although it was quickly fading as Frisk proved them self to be at least not in any sort of critical condition. Frisk wasn’t as convinced of that as they rubbed their head searching for a bump. 

“You’re head hurts?” Lu asked. 

Frisk didn’t find anything, so pointed at the little monsters confused. 

Lu and Milo looked at the little creatures, then at each other. “Oh…” Lu cleared her throat. “Um... These are… are… um…” 

“DIGIMON!” The floating skull interrupted suddenly, getting right up in Frisk's face. He nearly startled them into falling back, but they found them self laughing instead. “HELLO OTHER HUMAN! I AM THE GREAT AND WONDERFUL BLASTER! AND THIS IS MY ASLO GREAT AND WONDERFUL FRIEND, SHYREN!” 

The fish knocked him out of the way to get a better look at Frisk. She gave them a wide grin, revealing a long row of pointy teeth. “You’re a lot shorter then Milo and Lu.” She observed loudly, somehow even louder then the skull had been. “Nice to meet ya!” She presented one of her fins and Frisk shook it eagerly. 

“This is Frisk” Lu introduced almost passively, before turning back to them. “Milo and I landed in that room over there and thats where these guys found us. Apparently, they think they're our... partners or something.” She sounded skeptically as Blaster came over and nuzzled her. She jumped, startled, and shoved him away.

“I’m Milo’s partner,” Shyren said, jumping into Milo’s arms. He didn't seem to mind as much, until he noticed the feel of her clammy scales. A shiver ran up his spine as he turned pale.

“S-Shyren-!” He struggled to get the name out. 

Frisk giggled again, then pointed up at the ceiling, wiggling their finger back and forth. 

Confusion crossed everyone's face. “D… Does your finger hurt?” Lu asked, beginning to dig through her bag. “I have some medical tape in here…”

Frisk shook their head and cleared their throat, “Where-” they began carefully. “Where are we? Where are the others?” 

“WE ARE IN THE UNDERGROUND HUMAN!” Blaster answered knowingly. “YOU HAVE ALL FALLEN DOWN FROM THE SURFACE.” 

Frisk looked back up, far overhead to the light streaming in from the ceiling. It really was a long way to fall... How were they supposed to get back to the top? As they looked on, they realized the opening was getting smaller. Panic came over them as the ground started closing up after them.

Lu and Milo noticed too, leaning in close with worried looks. "This one closed up too,” Lu whispered, trying not to let Frisk hear. “How are the adults going to find us now?” Milo winced, uncertain. 

“As for the rest of your friends," Shyren continued, her little body puffing up proudly. "We’re looking for them right now! If anyone is going to find them: it would be me! Because I know the Ruins like the back of my fin!”

“WITH THE HELP OF MYSELF: THE SECOND MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE OF THE RUINS!” Blaster agreed, turning to the others. “IT TURNS OUT THAT THIS WAY WAS A DEAD END!” 

“Who’d have guessed?” Shyren added. Lu rubbed her eyes in frustration, while Milo was still focused in the ceiling. “But we found one of the humans anyways. Now we just have to go the other way.” She jumped out of Milo’s grip and went back the way they came from. 

“WAIT FOR ME!” Blaster chased her. Excited to see the others again, Frisk jumped up and started after them. They were stopped by Lu’s hand on their arm. 

“Hey Frisk.” She said quietly, glancing cautiously toward where the two monsters went. “We... we should be careful, okay? We don’t really know what those things are. They could be dangerous. They could really hurt us. Right, Milo?"

Milo looked surprised she’d asked him. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh... I guess you’re right. I didn’t really think about that..."

Lu clutched her bag close, then stood up and took Frisk's hand with a smile. It didn't quite reach her fearful eyes. “But don’t be afraid, okay? You’ve got the big kids with you. We’re going to make sure everyone stays perfectly safe.” 

She looked at Milo, who jumped up, his relieved look disappeared when he realized she was waiting for him. “Um… That’s right!” He declared, “The councilor left me in charge and I’m going to make sure that we all find our way home.” 

Lu relaxed just a little but Frisk just nodded impatiently. She didn't need to comfort them. They weren't scared; they were excited! They made new friends at camp, survived falling into a cave, and now there were cool, friendly monster buddies? Exactly how awesome could summer camp get? They pulled on Lu's arm excitedly, half-dragging her along after the monsters. 

The self-proclaimed 'Digimon' hadn't gotten very far. They were held up in just the other room, chatting eagerly with a cute little flower sticking up from the ground. It had big yellow petals surrounding a cute little face and Frisk bounced eagerly. The second the flower noticed them, his face lit up and he wiggled in response, leafs waving excitedly.

“Oh, wow!" He greeted, practically dancing. "There really are humans! Howdy. I’m Flowey. Flowey the Flower. Blaster and Shyren were just telling me about you. You’re the DigiDestined from the surface, right?" He stuck out a little tongue and winked. "Golly, you must be pretty confused.”

“DigiDestined?” Lu asked, as Frisk broke free of her grip to get a closer look. "Careful..." She warned, weakly. 

The other Digimon returned to their partners as Frisk stepped closer. The flower smiled brighter and Frisk couldn't contain their excitement. Lu and Milo both got Digimon friends. They couldn’t help but hope that maybe Flowey was theirs. They brushed some more dirt off their clothes, hoping to make a good impression. His smile was infectious and they liked it a lot. 

“Have those two explained how things work down here?” He asked, cheerfully. Frisk shook their head, ready to learn. “Oh, good. Here.” He gave a little shrug and let out some oval shaped white-things that floated around him. “These are ‘Friendliness pellets’. In the underground, you use them to spread LOVE!" He winked again. "You want LOVE don’t you?”

Frisk nodded eagerly, stepping closer to collect them. Behind them Shyren let out a mutter, “Wait, that's not-“

“Grab them quickly!” Flowey cheered. 

Frisk didn't hear Shyren’s warning. The white pellets shot forward, slamming into them so hard it knocked them off their feet. They hit the ground with a gasp, pain ripping through them. It hurt like nothing they’d ever felt. It felt like something deep inside them was breaking. It hurt to breath. They were suddenly very, very afraid.

“Frisk!” Lu screamed. 

Flowey summoned more bullets and Frisk curled up around them self, covering their head against further attacks, but the bullets flew over them. Blaster tackled Lu out of the way with a startled sound, while Shyren sprang in front of Milo, taking the blunt of the attack before they could reach him.

Blaster turned back to Flowey, shocked. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” 

Flowey chuckled, his kind face warping into a wicked, twisted smile. “Aw, Blaster. You never listen. I've told you before: Down here, it's kill or be killed. Who would pass up an opportunity like this?” He summoned more small white bullets. “Their souls are mine!”

“Like I would let you!” Shyren challenged, but Flowey wasn't listening to her. He was grinning down at the fallen human in front of him. Frisk whimpered. 

“Frisk-!” Lu shouted, as the bullets shot forward. 

“GASTER BLAST!” Blaster yelled suddenly, opening his mouth to release a stream of white light that swallowed up the bullets before they could reach. Lu scrambled up off the ground as Flowey summoned another attack. Racing across the room, she threw herself over Frisk, bodily protecting them.

Shyren flew in overhead. “Siren song!” she shouted, glimmering green music notes flying out her mouth. Only first one reached Flowey, busting with a sharp musical note, before he disappeared into the ground. They didn't have the time to hope it was over before he popped up on the other side of the room. 

“Like I’m going to be defeated by some In-Training weaklings!" He laughed maliciously, launching more bullets. DIE!” 

“Guard the humans!” Shyren said, trying to shoot them out of the air with her song notes. Blaster shouted in agreement.

“Frisk!? Are you ok!?” Lu carefully helped them sit up, still covering them as much as she could. Frisk shook their head, starting to cry. They knew their own limits pretty well. It hurt so much. If they got hit like that one more time... Lu panicked. “Milo! Help!” 

Milo was frozen in fear, wide eyes locked on the battle. Lu’s frantic scream broke him out of it and he stumbled towards them. “W-We’ve got to get out of here!” He shouted.

“Frisks hurt. Can you carry them?” She asked. 

Milo panicked. “What? No! I-I’m not strong enough! There's no way!” 

“HUMANS! NOW WOULD BE A EXCELLENT TIME TO RETREAT!” Blaster called out to them. The Digimon were quickly losing steam under the barrage of friendliness pellets. They were starting to slow down and looked pretty battered, panting hard. 

“It doesn’t matter if they escape now.” Flowey taunted, eagerly. “How long do you think you can protect a couple of DigiDestined down here?” 

Lu yanked the bag over her head and shoved it in Milo's arms. “Okay, okay- I’ve got this! Help me get them on my back.” Frisk protested the second she started to help them stand up. It hurt too much to move. “I know, I’m sorry. But we’ve got to hurry. Please.” 

Frisk struggled, wincing as they pressed their hurt front against Lu’s back. They grabbed hold tight of her shoulders and buried their face in her neck. 

Lu grabbed their thighs and with a huff she pushed up with all her might. Her leg's protested the additional weight and she couldn’t straighten up properly but she managed to get to her feet. Frisk wasn’t that heavy, but Lu had always been a slight girl and Frisk wasn’t that much younger then her. Still, she was strong for her age and adrenaline flooded her veins. She took a heavy step forward, then another, quickly gaining speed as she hurried towards the nearby door. 

“You’ve got it!” Milo cheered supportively, jogging to keep up with her. He struggled with the bag as it kept hitting his legs weirdly. 

“Oh, no you don’t~!” A vine suddenly shot out of the ground aimed right at them. Lu closed her eyes and focused on moving forward. 

“NGAHHH!” Shyren body-slammed the vine, but it wrapped around her and whipped her right into her partner. Milo stumbled, nearly dropping her and the bag, but he managed. Her defense gave them enough time to escape to the next room. 

“Shyren!?” Milo yelled, but she didn’t respond. He held her tight and kept running. “Lu! Keep going!”

Lu opened her eyes to a regal-looking purple room. She spotted the door first, then groaned at the sight of the lavish staircase leading up to it. “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Steeling her resolve, she made it across the room and up the first two steps before Flowey burst into the room, followed by a wildly shooting Blaster that kept begging him to stop. 

A new rush of adrenaline hit her and Lu made it up the rest of the steps. On the other side, Milo made it up his side, less encumbered then she was. Lu reached the top step just as something huge and white stepped through the doorway. It was another monster, looming over them, blocking their path. It’s massive head swung around to Lu and she screamed, quickly stepping back. 

Her foot stepped on air. Lu’s scream was cut off as her stomach dropped. She’d forgotten about the stairs. Frisk was on her back. She was too top heavy to yank herself forward. Her foot clipped the step at an angle and there was no catching herself. She tried to spin around, but there just wasn't time. They were going to fall. 

Scared hands squeezed her shoulders tightly. 

The monster at the top of the stairs lunged at them. Lu screamed. 

Something warm and soft wrapped around them, slowing their fall. They landed lightly at the bottom of the stairs, wrapped up in what felt like the softest blanket. They were placed on the ground with extra care and they both looked up at the smiling goat woman who had caught them. Her expression was as soft and gentle as the rest of her. 

The next second her expression darkened as she turned to Flowey, who had frozen completely at her appearance. “You miserable creature!” She pulled them close as they were suddenly surrounded by flames and with a wave of her arm they headed straight for Flowey who went flying. “Torturing such poor, innocent youths.” 

“LADY TORIEL!” Blaster cheered excitedly. “BOY AM I GLAD TO SEE YOU!” 

With Flowey gone and crisis seemingly averted, Lu’s knees gave out. Without the adrenaline her legs felt like jelly and she just couldn’t hold Frisk up any longer. Toriel caught her, helping her down so she didn't get hurt. 

“LU, ARE YOU OKAY!?” Blaster shouted. 

“Oh, my children...” Toriel said looking them over, “You’re both hurt. Here, I will heal you.”

Her big, soft hand landed gently on Frisks head and suddenly all the pain was gone. They marveled at the feeling while Toriel healed Lu before they scrambled off her back worried. They thanked her profusely, asking if she was okay. Lu also took a moment to recover from her recovery. All of her exhaustion had disappeared at the simple touch. 

“Oh. ...I’m ok.” She answered, dazed, before shaking her head to clear it. “Frisk! You’re ok?” Frisk nodded happily.

“LU! THAT WAS VERY GOOD OF YOU! YOU SAVED THE OTHER HUMAN!” 

“Yes, my child. That was very brave of you.” Toriel held out her hands to help Lu to her feet, and Lu took them after a little hesitation. “You protected your friend.”

Lu looked embarrassed. “I was just… I’m the big kid, so it's my responsibility.” 

“Blaster, is this your DigiDestined?” Toriel asked, looking at the skull as she touched him and healed his wounds as well. He beamed, bouncing excitedly.

“ISN'T SHE GREAT! LU IS EVEN GREATER THEN THE GREAT BLASTER!” 

“You did a good job protecting them as well. You have made me very proud-“ She was cut off by a soft sob and a tug on her robe. 

She hadn’t even noticed the third child. Tears streamed down his ashen cheeks as he held Shyren close to his body. She was still unconscious, and her fins were starting to chip away into what looked like dust. 

“SHYREN!” Blaster yelled, his big sockets filling with tears as well. 

“C-Can you heal her, t-too?” Milo sniffed, holding her out for Toriel. "S-She got hurt saving u-us." The goat woman took the little Digimon quickly, checking her over. Toriel had already used up a lot of her healing magic, but she had some strong magic items at home. She should be able to keep Shyren stable until she got there. 

She poured what she could into the little monster and hurried up the stairway. “She will be fine, but I must get her home. Come with me children.” Milo scrubbed at his tears, doing his best to keep by her side.

Frisk and Blaster both made to follow, but stopped when they noticed Lu standing still behind them. The girl had a dark frown, her hands fisted in her sweatpants. Frisk stopped at the door, but let Blaster take the lead. 

“LU? WE MUST HURRY. SHYREN IS HURT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE SHE IS OK.” 

Lu’s head whipped up. “What was that!?” She yelled angrily. Blaster flinched, sinking a little as she raised her voice. “He attacked us! You said that Digimon were nice! You said we were safe here! Frisk was hurt!” 

Blaster whined and Frisk ached for him. Blaster had tried his hardest to protect them. “I-I DON’T KNOW WHY FLOWEY ATTACKED. HE’S USUALLY VERY NICE. FLOWEY IS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE.”  
Lu glared, then stormed past him grabbing Frisk’s hand. “Well, he didn’t seem very nice to me. Frisk, stay close. We could be attacked again.”

Quietly, Frisk followed along, glancing back at the down-heartened Blaster. They believed him. Blaster, Shyren, and Toriel had all risked their lives to protect them. Only Flowey had tried to hurt them. They supposed it was probably a good thing Flowey wasn’t their Digimon. They shuddered at the lingering memory of the bullets. Still, they were sad Flowey didn't want to be their friend. They thought about Blaster and Shyren, and it raised their spirits.

The thought of finding their own Digimon partner… filled them with DETERMINATION.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would people prefer shorter chapters more regularly, or longer chapters that would take a while? This is not initially where I planned on ending this chapter, but I'm still working out the kinks in the next two parts, and just thought I'd post this for now...What would be better?


	3. Chapter 3

The Ruins were filled with old puzzles, Blaster explained as they hurried along in the direction that Toriel had gone. It was a very important Digimon tradition. Frisk was as disappointed as he was to find that, in her haste, Toriel had already deactivated most of them. They rather liked puzzles and Blaster was doing a good job of hyping them up. Lu, on the other hand, was relieved they didn’t have to stop in every room just to get a door open. 

The Ruins were peaceful. The bright purple walls and crisp red leafs were elegant, yet there was something almost homely about it. The air wasn’t too warm or too cold, and despite how deep underground they were, everything was well lit and comfortable. They could almost forget it was underground. 

They ran into other Digimon along the way. Blaster introduced them as the humans hurried past, but like he’d said, none of the other Digimon attacked them. Froggit’s hopped by with little croaks or meows. Whimsun’s were too shy to do anything more then run away. Moldsmal’s just wiggled at them. (Frisk wiggled back. It was a very meaningful conversation). 

They hurried deeper and deeper into the Ruins. Having long since lost sight of Toriel, Lu reluctantly relied on Blasters instructions, her anxiousness becoming more and more apparent with each room they past. How large was this cave? Where were the others? Milo shouldn’t have gone off with Toriel alone. What if it was some sort of trap?

Her fears were alleviated a small bit when Max and J.C. appeared down the hall, running towards them at a light jog. They were followed by two new Digimon. A little yellow dinosaur-looking Digimon with no arms and a pink translucent ghost with fabulous hair. 

“Lu! Frisk!” They called, waving. 

Frisk threw off Lu’s grip and broke into a sprint, crossing the room to nearly tackling Max in a big hug. Max grunted at the impact, nearly falling over. Beside him, the little yellow Digimon tried to make a sudden stop as well, but without any arms to stabilize herself only lost her balance and landed face first on the ground. She quickly insisted she was ok, but didn't make any move to get up. 

Frisk let go and bounced, excited to see their new ‘best friend’ again. They had never had a ‘best friend’ before. 

"Hey great! You guys are both okay," Max said, grinning back. He didn't seem particularly surprised or relieved about it, unlike J.C., whose shoulders sagged and his worried expression relaxed.

“I’m glad we found you,” He said. “We just saw Milo. He said you’d been attacked.”

“You saw Milo?” Lu asked. “Is he okay?” 

"HOW IS SHYREN?" Blaster added, trying not to sound as worried as he clearly was. 

They nodded. “He’s at Toriel’s house. She told us she’d lost you guys on the way home so we came to get you.”

“And Shyren will be back to her absolutely fabulous self in no time, Darlings~” Declared the bright pink ghost as he twirled into position in front of J.C.’s face. J.C. grimaced. “In the mean time, lets get on with introductions! I am Hapstablook. Number one idol across the whole Ruins!” He struck a dramatic pose as J.C. began to scoot away from him. 

With a grin, Frisk struck a pose back.

Hapstablook gasped. “Oh my!” 

J.C. pulled back more and more as Frisk and Hapstablook began a very intense pose-off with Blaster was calling out impromptu ratings such as “ALMOST AS COOL AS I AM”, “5/5 ROCKS WOULD LIKE THAT ONE”, and “BASICALLY SPAGHETTI!”. 

Their dramatic finally was cut off by Lu stepping in. “We really don’t have time for this! We need to find the others and make sure everyone is okay.” 

"Aw, chill Lu.” Max laughed, enjoying the banter. "Everyone’s already safe at the goat lady's house.”

“Everyone?” Lu said, earnestly. J.C. nodded in agreement so she grabbed his arms, leaning in frantically. “Even Yvette and Reese?” His face turned bright red as he kept nodding. Lu looked anxiously in the direction they had come from, before steeling herself and turning to Frisk. “Frisk, stay with the boys, okay? I’m going to make sure everyone’s alright.” She turned and ran ahead followed closely behind by Blaster. 

Max scratched his head, while J.C. used his hat to cover his face, trying to bat away Hapstablook, who circled him with a knowing smile.

“What’s she so worried about?” Max asked and Frisk shrugged, shaking their head. “Well anyways… come meet my partner!” He grabbed them and pulled them over to the fallen Digimon, who panicked at their approach and struggled to get back up. Excited to be helpful, Frisk rushed over to help. The second she was on her feet, Max threw an arm around her neck and an arm around Frisk and and pulled them both in close. 

“This is MK! My own monster buddy, isn’t that crazy or what?”

Frisk nodded quickly, giving her a little wave. MK looked bashful, either at the introduction or at Max's overly-friendly embrace. “H-Hello...” she stuttered out, looking down at her toes. 

“And Lu’s Digimon is some kinda dragon-skull-thing,” He pointed out, impressed. “Cool. Very cool. Where’s yours, Frisk?” 

Frisk froze. 

Max and J.C. both had their Digimon, too. They wished Lu hadn’t dragged them through the Ruins so fast. Sure, they wanted to make sure that Shyren was okay too, but they might have walked right past their partner on the way. It could have been any one of those Froggits. It was probably that Moldsmal! They had made a real connection! They looked back the way they’d come from and shrugged dejectedly. 

Max let go, just to smack their arm (a little too roughly) with a bright laugh. “Hey! No need to look so down. We’ll run into them eventually.” 

“He’s absolutely right, Darling~” Hapstablook added, as he circled them. “We’ve all been waiting for our partners for such a long time; your partner will be as excited to see you as we have been.” 

That cheered them up, but to their side MK made a nervous face. “B-But… But there are o-only six of us.” She sputtered cautiously, “A-And that m-makes… s-seven humans.” 

The boys stiffened slightly as Frisks felt their shoulders sag against their will. “W-… what do you mean?” They asked. “I saw lots of other Digimon.” 

Hapstablook floated over, draping himself over their head confidently, like they were some sort of lounge chair. “Oh, don’t you mind her. She just means your partner isn’t here. In the Ruins. The six of us have known you were coming for a very long time. But we haven’t met any other Digimon who are waiting for their partners, so yours must be in another part of the Underground.”

“There are other parts of the Underground?” J.C. asked. 

Hapstablook lit up and jumped to attention. “Oh yes! We all used to live in the other parts of the Underground until Toriel brought us here.” He spun around and posed, making J.C. wince. 

“Can you stop? …Being so…” 

“Fabulous?”

“I was going to say ‘girly’…” 

Hapstablook laughed. “Well you meant ‘fabulous’, and I can’t help it, J.C. Darling. It’s the star in me~” 

“Maybe they just don’t know I’m their partner…?” Frisk suggested softly, still thinking about the nice Moldsmal from before.

“I certainly recognized J.C. immediately…” Hapstablook said in a contemplative tone. “But I suppose anything is possible in the Underground.”

Frisk nodded, invigorated. That was it. They would just have to keep searching. Maybe when things were settled, they could go back and talk to the Digimon they’d passed. In the mean time, they all agree’d to head back to Toriel’s before Lu started to worry. They began to walk along, J.C. and Hapstablook bickering lightly, Max chatting eagerly at MK, and Frisk tucked their hands in their pockets. Inside they found something small and solid. Curious, they pulled it out. 

It was the little device that fell down from the sky. The little heart-shaped toy was attached to a chain that was hooked onto the waistband of their shorts. They didn't remember putting it there. They turned it over, admiring the way the gold shined under the light. It was warm and when they held it close, they thought they could almost feel a heartbeat. 

The chain was attached to the device with a little metal ring. Making a decision, they unclipped the hook from their shorts, wrapped the chain around their neck, and attached the hook to the little ring. It worked perfectly and the device hung down like a necklace. Smiling, they tucked it away under their shirt. The weight felt nice. After this adventure, they'd have to try and find out what was up with the weird game that fell from space. It probably didn't have anything to do with the Digimon hiding underground. 

. . .

It didn’t take much longer to reach the little house nestled at the end of the Ruins. The little building didn’t even have a door, just an opening, with two little windows to either side. In front of the building was an old, leaf-less tree, and in front of that was Lu, pacing back and forth with Blaster following right behind her head. 

Frisk waved when she noticed them and she ran right over. “Frisk! Max, J.C., did any of you get hurt?” 

“Naw, we’re all good,” Max laughed, folding his gloved hands behind his head. “Digimon seem pretty peaceful. I’m pretty sure whatever happened to you guys was a fluke.”

Lu seemed skeptical.

“Did you find Yvette and Reese?” Frisk asked. 

“WE HAVE LOCATED ALL OF THE HUMANS.” Blaster replied, springing through the air. “INCLUDING THE HUMAN YVETTE, WHO IS THE PARTNER OF MY LAZYBONES BROTHER! HE IS ALSO VERY COOL, ALTHOUGH NOT AS COOL AS ME!”

“And how is Shyren?” They asked as everyone started gravitating to the house. 

“FULLY RECOVERED AND RESTING WITH THE HUMAN MILO.” 

“You know you don’t have to say ‘the human’ every time, right?” J.C. pointed out. 

“Oh, he knows…” Lu muttered, clearly annoyed. 

“BUT YOU ARE ALL HUMANS!” Blaster explained, not understanding their lack of enthusiasm. “THAT IS VERY EXCITING!”

The inside of the house was bright and warm, with a delicious scent lingering in the air. Lu went to the right, saying she’d take them to Milo, but Frisk was distracted by that sweet, gooey smell that filled their nose. Everyone said Milo and Shyren were fine, so their priority immediately shifted to finding the source of that wonderful smell. 

It lead them into a sparsely furnished, yet homey living room. Yvette was safe and sound, just sleeping in a large chair by a gently crackling fire. She was snuggled up with another Blaster, just like Lu's Digimon, also sleeping peacefully. It looked surprisingly comfortable as Yvette was resting easily, despite being squished up against the hard bone. Frisk quietly tip-toed past them into the kitchen. 

Reese was standing over the sink with his sleeves rolled up, washing dishes. The steam had fogged up his glasses even more, but he noticed them when they approached the oven and pressed their face to the glass, drooling at the sight of the lightly browning pie inside. It wasn't the only thing cooking either. There was something else in the oven and a pot simmering on every burner. Combined with a couple of covered plates on the counter it looked like the beginnings of a small feast. 

“Hello Frisk," He greeted, shaking off his hands. "Did J.C. and Max make it back with you?" Something dropped from the ceiling with a hand towel for him. "Oh, thank you." 

It was another Digimon, about the same size as the others but this one was a large spider, with a furry brown body and eight smooth purple legs. Frisk nodded to answer his question, then waved at the new Digimon. She tittered slightly, her large eyes sparkling. "Hello, Deary~" 

"Frisk, this is Ruin Spider, my Digimon Partner."

She laughed, coyly. "There's no need to be so formal. Rue is just fine."

"Miss. Rue, this is Frisk. They use 'they' pronouns." 

"Delighted to meet you," She coo'd swinging over to land on their head. Frisk shrieked out a laugh as her multiple legs raked through their hair, tickling their scalp. "My~ I could just eat you up, couldn't I?"

Reese tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I don't think you'd have room for dinner if you did that." 

"Oh, I suppose you're right," She said disappointingly. "And Toriel is making such a nice meal for everyone. Pity. Maybe next time, okay Deary?"

Frisk laughed, unable to nod without throwing her off. "Okay!" 

Reese reached over and lifted the Digimon off their head. She didn't hesitate to wiggle loose, crawling up his arm and up onto his head, not caring even when she knocked his glasses askew. There she settled and Reese fixed his glasses. He glanced around the room for a moment, searching for a sign of their Digimon partner. Frisk barely had time to realize that was what he was doing before he changed the subject smoothly. 

"Yvette and I landed in a pile of leafs not to far from here," He began, catching them up. "The logistics of that seem rather impossible, but Miss. Rue says that that just the way things work down here sometimes. I'm just glad no one was hurt on the way down." It did seem rather unlikely they all would have survived that fall, but he decided it was best to appreciate their good fortune. "Lady Toriel is taking us in for now, so make sure that you say 'thank you', okay?"

Frisk nodded firmly, just as they heard someone walking up to the entryway. "My children?" Toriel called softly, smiling warmly when she spotted them. "Oh good. That makes all of you. Everyone is safe now." She knelt down in front of them. "I'm sorry I left you and Lu behind earlier. I'm afraid things got a little hectic, but I'm glad you both made it here safely." She rubbed Frisk's head with a proud smile that filled Frisk with a fuzzy, warm feeling. "Dinner will be finished soon. Why don't I show you the rest of the house, then you can hang with the other children until it's ready?"

Frisk nodded and Toriel took their hand, leading them and Reese back into the living room. On the chair, Yvette was was just waking up. She rubbed her eyes lightly. Her Blaster was awake too, eye light bright as they spotted Frisk. 

"hey tori, kid," He greeted, in a friendly and laid back manner. Frisk waved happily. "i'd shake your hand, but i'm not so handy at introductions. i'm blaster." He winked as Toriel giggled. "not to be confused with my brother. no relation." Toriel snorted and Frisk joined in. "to keep things simple, feel free to call me bonehead."

"Aster, please," Toriel snickered. "I've got to hand it to you, that may have been your worst introduction yet."

"i try." He replied, proudly, before Yvette picked him up, and slid off the chair. The skull was a little too big for her to carry comfortably, but they both already seemed familiar with it. She moved to Frisk's side, still looking a little blurry-eyed. 

"How did you sleep, little one?" Toriel asked, holding out her other hand for Yvette to take. The girl clutched her Digimon tighter, and Toriel let it go easily. "If you’re still tired, I have plenty of beds for all of you." She began to lead them towards the front of the house. "I've known you children were coming for a long time. I have beds and toys for all of you."

Yvette moved in close to Frisk. "Are you okay?" She whispered, glancing at Toriel, who pretended not to notice. At Frisks nod, she examined them critically, before letting it go. Aster watched the exchange silently. 

Toriel led them down the hallway, showing them two bedrooms, each filled with toys and bunk beds, enough for each of them. The third room, her room, was where they found the rest of the children. Milo was sitting with a fully healed Shyren on a large blue bed. Her face morphed into a wide grin when they walked in. 

"Look ! It's the punk! Everyone's here now!" 

Frisk forgot themselves as they ran forward and threw them self on the bed. They hugged her tightly to thank her for saving them and just because they were happy she was alright.

"Aw shucks," She said, not minding the attention. "Don't cry over a couple of little scrapes! I've gotten way worse before!"

"Y-You have?" Milo asked, voice breaking in concern. 

"Uh..." she began to sweat at her DigiDestined's tears. "...well, yeah! I mean, probably? Either way, I'm pretty touch. You guys shouldn't worry about me. Right, B?" 

Blaster nodded so hard his whole body ended up somersaulting through the air. "SHYREN IS THE HERO OF THE RUINS! NO ONES BEATEN HER BEFORE, SO THIS WAS VERY LIKELY A FLUKE! WE'VE BOTH FOUGHT WITH FLOWEY BEFORE AND HE'S NEVER BEEN THAT STRONG BEFORE."

"I won't let him get the best of me next time." She grinned sharply and Frisk finally let go. 

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes children," Toriel informed them. "I'll come get you when it's ready." She closed the door behind her. 

"Great! Food sounds awesome. I'm starving," Max admitted, earning a couple of agreements. 

"How can you be thinking of your stomachs right now?" Lu asked, throwing up her arms. "Now that we're all together again, we have to figure out how to get home! We are trapped in a cave!"

"LEAVE!?" Blaster shouted, floating right up into her face. "YOU CAN'T LEAVE! YOU JUST GOT HERE!"

"T-That's right!" MK quickly agreed, withdrawing a bit when Max looked at her. "I-I mean... we didn't even get to know each other..."

Shyren jumped into Milo's lap. "There's so many games I wanted to play!" 

"And I wanted to show you my routine!" Hapstablook added, pouting at J.C.

"We didn't get much time to talk..." Rue said softly. 

"and, uh, i was asleep through most of your time here, so i don't think that should count..." Aster added, looking up at Yvette. 

The kids hesitated, looking at their eager Digimon. The little monsters had already mentioned many times how long they'd been waiting for them. They looked down at the pleading faces and didn't want to disappoint them.

Reese was the first to speak up. "No, Lu is right. We do need to get home. The councilors will have noticed we're missing by now. They'll send someone to look for us eventually, but with the weather the way it was, there's no telling how long it would take to get a search team up the mountain after a snow storm. Besides, we all wondered pretty far from where we fell and the ground closed up after us. We're going to have to find a way back up." 

Milo sighed, dejectedly. "And I'm already going to be in a lot of trouble for not keeping you guys in camp..."

J.C. made a face. "Well, I don't think they can blame you for that..."

"Yeah, sure, we got to go back," Max said, grabbing MK in another headlock, pulling her close. "Who cares! You guys can just come back with us."

Their faces drooped with disappointment immediately. They glanced at each other, wondering who was going to explain it. "Actually, Dearies... us Digimon can't leave the Underground," Rue explained quietly. 

"Why not?" Yvette asked, looking down at Aster. 

"there's a barrier keeping us in," He explained. "otherwise i would have come found you years ago."

"A barrier?" Lu repeated alarmed. "You mean we're trapped down here?" 

"O-Oh no!" MK answered. "T-The barrier is only k-keeping us in. H-Humans can go right through." 

Lu relaxed a little. Frisk frowned. "...But that means you guys can't come with us..."

The Digimon didn't answer.

There was a knock on the door. “Children?" It was Toriel. "Dinner is ready. Are you hungry?“

Frisk popped off the bed and ran over to open the door for her. Toriel smile down on them. “Hello my child. Are you all ready to eat?" 

"I am!" Max declared, followed by a chorus of agreement. 

Frisk bounced, putting their arms up for a hug. Toriel beamed, scooping them up with a tight squeeze. "Well, then come eat. I may have gone overboard with-” she was interrupted by Max and JC peeling out of the room, followed closely by most of the digimon. “Oh good. There is plenty but the rest of you may want to hurry up.“ She quickly hurried after them , carrying Frisk with her. “Boys! Wash your hands first!”

In the room, Milo, Reese, and Lu exchanged looks of uncertainty. 

"...Do you..." Milo began quietly. "Do you think we will actually be okay?"

Lu looked down at Yvette and forced a big smile. "Hey! Why don't you go ahead with the others?" She shot Milo a warning look. He shrank slightly. 

Yvette shrugged and stood up. "We'll be fine." She said brushing non-existent dust off her overalls. "We have to get home." The older kids watched her leave before looking at each other again. They wished they could be that sure.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Oops. I introduced the barrier twice.... but I like this one better. I will edit it out of the last chapter soon. Just pretend that didn't happen.

Frisk couldn't remember the last time they had eaten something that tasted so good. The other kids and Digimon were all sitting comfortably around the very large table, discussing the events, but Frisk just kept shoveling the delicious food into their mouth. Toriel was a really, really good cook! Even the vegetables tasted good and Frisk hated vegetables. They hummed appreciatively, savoring the taste on their tongue. 

"Slow down, My Child," Toriel chuckled, reaching over to pet their head softly. "It's not going anywhere."

Lu looked up suddenly. "You have to be careful. You could choke."

A couple of them rolled their eyes and Frisk gave a chastised smile before working on smaller bites. Toriel looked proud of them and it filled them with a warm, fuzzy feeling. "So, My Children," She began, still utilizing that welcoming tone. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about yourselves?" 

Milo and Lu exchanged looks, but Max was eager to jump in. "I'm Max!" He declared, the rest of the table quieting down. "I'm ten, but I'm gonna be eleven in August. I'm in a Karate class and my sensei says I'm gonna be a black belt in no time!" 

Toriel laughed lightly. "My, isn't that exciting?" 

Max gave one firm nod in agreement before smacking J.C. on the back. "Your turn!" 

J.C. nearly spit out the food in his mouth at the impact and gave Max a look that just said: '...really?' Quickly, he forced down the mouthful and tipped his hat. "J.C. I'm... I like playing sports. And... mostly sports. I like some video games, but I'd rather be playing outside."

"What kind of sports?" Toriel asked. 

He grinned. "All of them, really. I like trying new things. My parents say I'm a..." He faltered and Reese muttered something towards him. "Jack of all trades! Right!"

"J.C. naturally excels at most activities he picks up," Reese added, an underlying hint of pride in his voice. 

Toriel nodded along with similar fondness. Hapstablook floated through the table, spinning around and striking a pose in the potato salad. "A new shining star in the Underground! Just like me, Darling! Naturally gifted! What an excellent pair we make!" J.C. winced slightly. "But really, Darling? A hat at the table?" 

He flushed and yanked it off. "Oh... right... Sorry, Miss. Toriel." 

"That's alright," She looked over. "Reese, Dear? How about you?"

He sat up a little straighter, his expression unreadable behind his foggy glasses. "My name is Reishirou Imari," He began, his voice taking on the monotonous drone of a worn out speech. "I am enrolled at Ebott Academy for the Gifted and am receiving high marks in all my classes. My parents are-" He was cut off by a rather harsh nudge from J.C. 

"He's a big nerd and he likes computer stuff," J.C. informed her with a knowing nod. "He was my neighbor when we were little, then he moved, but he still comes over a lot. So we knew each other long before camp. He prefers Reese, but he won't say it."

Reese gave him a look, but seemed to relax a little. "Anyways," He bowed slightly over the table at Toriel. "Thank you very much for your hospitality. Please look after us."

There was a quick influx of conversation as the others remember their manners and started rounds of thanks for the saves, treatment, and food. Toriel shushed them quiet with a wave of her hand. "Please. There is no need to thank me. You are all welcome here. I just want to make sure that you are all happy and safe." 

"LU SHOULD GO NEXT!" Blaster exclaimed, eye light shinning brightly as he bounced through the air in front of her. 

Lu frowned. "I'd rather not," she crossed her arms as Blaster sank slightly in disappointment. "My dad told me you should always be very careful about giving personal information to strangers..." 

Blaster lit back up. "OH PERFECT! THERE ARE NO STRANGERS HERE, SO I WILL INTRODUCE YOU!" He spun to Toriel. "THIS IS LU AND SHE IS A HUMAN WHO IS BRAVE AND SMART AND MATURE! JUST LIKE THE GREAT AND WONDERFUL BLASTER!" 

Lu exhaled and went back to her food. 

"It's alright if you're nervous, Lu," Toriel encouraged gently. "I know the Underground can seem scary, but you will be very safe here. I hope you will come to trust me." Lu looked up with a hint of guilt before stealing herself and returning to her food. 

"Is it my turn?" Milo asked, bouncing a little in his seat. He didn't wait for a response before continuing. "I'm Milo and I like all sorts of things. I like to cook and go on trips. I like the fancy restaurants my parents sometimes take me too. I have a dog named Nina and it's my job to take her on walks and she's like really small, but she barks all the time. I like to go to the movies, and I really like to-"

"Milo!" Lu interrupted, aghast. "I literally just said-!" 

Milo pouted and went back to poking his potatoes. "It wasn't that much..."

Toriel giggled, then turned to Yvette. "And you, My Child?"

Yvette paused, spoon raised. She was pushed back from the table with her plate balanced on Asters head, while he rested on her lap and she fed him between bites. She considered the question for a while, then shrugged. "Lu's right. We should probably be a little more careful." 

"aw, come on kiddo," Aster chimed in, mindful of the plate. "i want to know more about ya too."

Yvette looked at him, before shrugging again. "I'm Yvette, i'm seven, and I have a little brother and two little sisters." She nodded sideways. "Frisk's turn."

Frisk nearly inhaled a piece of carrot, caught off guard. Of course if everyone else was introducing themselves, they'd have to introduce them self too. They just hadn't realized it. They didn't prepare to say anything. They glanced up and everyone was looking at them. " 'm Frisk," They said quickly, because that was an easy one. " 'm nine," because that was easy too. 

"Nine?" Lu seemed surprised. "I thought you were closer to Yvette's age... Although nine is still pretty little..."

"Hey! That's almost ten!" Max argued. "We aren't little." 

Lu didn't look particularly convinced, but she let it go. Frisk wished she'd have argued if only to give them more time to think. What should they say? They weren't in an clubs and they didn't; have any siblings. They didn't have a pet or a fancy hobby. They didn't even get a Digimon partner... They liked to play, but they usually just played alone.

"What is that you have there?" Toriel prompted, apparently unbothered by their long silence. 

Frisk wasn't sure what she meant at first, before they realized they'd wrapped their hand around the device hidden under their shirt. They'd just started fiddling with it. It was a comfortable shape. They tugged it out into the open and showed it off to her. 

Toriel looked suprised. 

"Oh, that thingy," Max pulled his out of his pocket. "Forgot all about these."

"I don't remember putting this away..." Lu commented, as everyone grabbed and looked over the items. "They aren't ours. We shouldn't keep them."

"On the contrary," Toriel corrected, her expression distant. "Those are Digivices. They belong to the DigiDestined."

"DigiDestined..." Lu repeated, looking at Milo. "That's what that flower called us."

"The Digivices are your connection to your Digimon," Toriel explained, "With them, your Digimon should be able to get more powerful." 

Reese frowned. "But these things came from the sky before we even fell down here. Why would they be related to the Underground?"

"Magic?" J.C. suggested. 

"Fate." Rue answered confidently. Reese looked skeptical. 

"So, then what's a Digidestined?" Milo asked. 

"I know!" Shyren declared. "The DigiDestined are hurmans from the surface who're supposed to break the Barrier and set us free!" Toriel looked away, her expression guarded.

"Barrier?" Reese asked. 

"That's right," Rue told him. "It's the only way out of the underground. It's a magic seal that keeps us all trapped down here."

"We're trapped down here!?" Lu gasped. 

"I-It's ok!" MK blurted out quickly. "It's only keeping us Digimon here. H-Humans can go right through it!" 

They all relaxed a bit, although Frisk noticed that Toriel clenching her hands.

Yvette looked down at Aster. "You guys are all trapped down here?" 

"yup." He answered, relaxed. "otherwise we would have come found you guys... you said you were seven?" She nodded. "-thirty eight years ago."

"BROTHER, DON'T BE SILLY," Blaster chided.

He grinned in response. "can't be silly. i'm already aster." Yvette twitched. 

"That's terrible!" J.C. said suddenly, standing up. "You shouldn't be trapped down here!"

Max stood up as well. "That's right! That's not very fair at all. If we have to go through the Barrier anyways; lets go ahead and destroy it!" He and J.C. fist-bumped while Shyren, MK, Hapstablook and Blaster cheered in agreement. Lu looked worried, but Milo was moved by their excitement. Reese and Yvette were quiet. Frisk felt their soul well up at the thought of setting their new friends free. Even if it was difficult, they would definitely break the Barrier. 

"No." Toriel said firmly. 

The room quieted again as they looked at her. Her eyes were hard. "what do you mean, tori?" Aster asked, all the Digimon looking confused and nervous. 

"I mean, no. The children will not be leaving. They will not be breaking the barrier." 

Max and J.C. slowly sat back down, resting on the edge of their seats. "What do you mean?" They asked. "We need to get home."

"This will be your home from now on," She said firmly. "It is too dangerous for you to leave."

The children squirmed, glancing at Lu who was frozen, wide-eyed in terror. Maybe she'd had a point... 

"What are you talking about!?" Shyren interrupted, loudly. "We've been waiting for our partners for all this time so we could save everyone and go to the surface together! Isn't that why you brought us to the Ruins!? 

Toriel was quiet, looking at each of them as she decided what to tell them. Finally she sighed. "No... No. That was not why I brought you here. I brought you down here because As-" She tensed up. "-Asgore has declared war on the Humans and the Digidestined. I brought you here because I thought... you could be in danger as well."

The children watched the shock and confusion that crossed the Digimon's faces while they themselves absorbed the meaning of her words. 

She stood up. "If the children leave here, they will die. I understand that you all want to go home, but I cannot allow it. I am sorry." She did look sorry as she grabbed one of the empty plates off the table. "I shall go get some more of this. Please, continue eating."

The table was tense as she walked out into the kitchen. Frisk clenched tighter at their Digivice. If they left the Ruins, they would all die. They wondered if that was what Flowey had meant before when he said down here it was kill or be killed... 

. . . 

Lu closed the bedroom door behind her, before looking around at the group with sagging shoulders. "Guys," She groaned, looking put upon. "I told you to come alone."

The children all sitting in various spots around the room looked at their Digimon. "Oh... you meant without them?" J.C. asked. 

"W-Well... yes!" Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "We need to make a plan. We have to escape here and find a way to get back home."

"I imagine they would be able to assist us with that," Reese pointed out. 

"That's true!" MK exclaimed, shrinking back when everyone looked at her. "Y-You guys are new to the Underground. We've been here q-quite a while..."

"Beside!" Hapstablook insisted in a sing-song voice. "It's not like there's any point in keeping it a secret. You're our partners. Where ever you go, we're going to follow." The other Digimon nodded in agreement. 

Lu desperatly looked around at the others, waiting for someone to say they agreed with her. "We- We don't know what these things are! Flowey attacked us. Toriel wants to keep us trapped here. And there's a war on humans! T-They are little monsters with magic; they are dangerous-!" 

"We aren't dangerous." Rue reassured with a bit of a huff, many eyes narrowing.

"I'm super dangerous!" Shyren shouted with a grin, bouncing from side to side on the bed next to Milo. "But not to you guys! You're safe with us!"

Max grinned, wrapping an arm around MK. "Relax, Lu. These guys are our new pals." 

"Milo!" Lu pleaded, hoping he could talk some sort of sense into the rest of them. 

However, Milo just grabbed Shyren and pulled her struggling form into a tight hug, tears blooming in his eyes. "S-She saved us earlier! I think we should trust them!" 

Lu physically slumped with disappointment. "J.C?"

He looked at Hapstablook and shrugged. "I don't know. They seem fine. And they have helped us so far."

"F-Frisk? Yvette?"

Frisk gave her two thumbs up and Yvette nodded quietly, both of them in favor of the Digimon staying. 

"do we get a vote?" Aster asked. "although, it seems already settled..."

"LU!" Blaster shouted through the door. "CAN I COME IN YET? OR DO YOU STILL NEED ME TO GUARD THE DOOR?" Lu looked up at the ceiling before letting out a defeated sign and reluctantly opening the door. He bounced in with a delighted smile. "OH GOOD. WHAT ARE WE DISCUSSING?" 

Where to start? They had a lot to talk about. Lu sat down on the floor and crossed her arms. "We need to get home. That needs to be our top priority. So we need to get to this Barrier." She looked around at the Digimon. "Where is it?"

"I've heard it's..." MK begain nervously. "...it's s-supposed to be all the way on the... other side of the underground..."

"And...how far is that?" She asked weakly. The following silence was not encouraging. "Are there any other ideas?"

Reese considered it for a moment. "Normally, when you get lost you should stay where you are until rescue comes. The councilors will have noticed we're missing by now so someone should be looking for us. However, since the ground closed up when we fell I don't think they would be able to find us. Especially if I was right and there was another storm. Any traces of our fall will be hidden by the snow, and it would take a while for a proper search team to get all the way up Mt. Ebott in that weather. I don't think we'll be able to just wait it out. We may need to be proactive in our own rescue." 

He sounded confident and the others began to nod along. They were all mostly onboard with breaking the barrier anyway for their new friends, the only problem was... "...but what will we do about Asgore?" Lu reminded them. "Toriel said the Digimon outside the ruins would try to kill us. Just like that scary flower did."

"FLOWEY IS NOT USUALLY LIKE THAT!" Blaster assured again, before his expression turned nervous and he began to sweat. "ALTHOUGH IN HINDSIGHT... IT IS POSSIBLE THAT FLOWEY HAS PERHAPS INDICATED THAT THERE MAY ACTUALLY POSSIBLY BE A... WAR. BEFORE. POSSIBLY." 

"What!?" Lu shouted at him and he shrank back. "Why didn't you tell us!?"

"do you mind..." Aster began, in a dark voice, his eye sockets going dark, "... n o t y e l l i n g a t m y b r o t h e r."

Lu flinched and Yvette glared. "He's only trying to help us! Why don't you leave him alone."

Her eyes widened with surprise. "Yvette, I didn't-... I..." She winced, ashamed. "Y-You're right... I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry..." 

"OH, THAT'S OKAY! I KNOW YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO YELL," Blaster light right back up, happily bouncing back and forth. Lu wanted to say more, but held her tongue. Yvette and Aster continued to glare but relaxed as Blaster continued excitedly. "I DIDN'T MENTION IT BECAUSE I DIDN’T BELIEVE IT. FLOWEY MAKES A LOT OF STRANGE JOKES; HE'S ALMOST AS BAD AS MY BROTHER."

"what?" Aster asked with a grin. "that's pretty unbe-leaf-able." Blaster let out a groan.

“ANYWAYS...DIGIMON ARE VERY FRIENDLY, SO IT JUST SOUNDED SILLY. AND ASGORE, WELL-“

“Asgore is the King!” Shyren interrupted, wiggling dramatically. “He’s really cool, and strong, and there’s no way he declared war on you guys!” 

“Really?” Max asked. “But Toriel said he did.”

She frowned and Rue hummed. “Miss. Toriel doesn't seem to like him very much. I think they used to be close, but she gets very upset when we ask about him. She wont tell us why.”

Lu leaned over towards Reese, “Sounds like my parents. Maybe they’re divorced?” 

“I’M NOT SURE THEY WERE MARRIED,” Blaster said, poking in between them and and Lu jerked back, startled. 

“S-Shyren’s right, though,” MK insisted. “I met him once, long ago, before Toriel brought us down here. He was v-very kind... It... it doesn’t seem like him to declare w-w-war.” 

“So Toriel was lying to us?” J.C. asked.

The Digimon tried to argue immediately. She wouldn't, after all, lie to them, but... she did say she’d lied. And Asgore wouldn’t do that, right? Their argument quickly lost wind. 

There was a few moments of silence before Max shoved his fist into the air. “Good guy or bad guy; It doesn't matter-! We gotta go home and that means:” he grinned widely. “We’re going to a castle to meet a King!” Frisk joined his fist pump. 

"It sounds like the best plan,” Reese admitted. “We do need to get home and we don’t have any other option. No ones going to find us like this."

Lu looked devistated. "This is the worst plan! It sounds very dangerous!"

"DON'T WORRY!" Blaster reassured. "I'LL PROTECT YOU THE WHOLE WAY!" She did not look at all reassured. 

Frisk beamed. "It’s an adventure!"

"Awesome! It'll be like actual camping!" Max exclaimed. "I know how to make a fire with my telescope."

Reese took off the small backpack he wore and started shuffling through it. "I've got a camping guide book, which should have all the basic instructions for survival, but I've been looking at the plants down here and while they look similar to ours, I don't think they are the same. I don't think it can help in identifying safe ones..."

"We know what plants are safe to eat." Rue replied. 

"Check it out!" Milo said eagerly, dropping his bag in the middle of the circle. "My parents got me a Little Adventurer Ultra Deluxe camping pack for kids. It's got everything! It's got rope and a canteen, and everything you need to cook dinner. There’s an insulated blanket, and it's light enough even I can carry it up a mountain!" 

Reese started taking it apart, finding it very professionally packed for maximum carrying capacity. 

"That's awesome Milo!" Max cheered, looking at the supplies. "We're totally set now."

"Well, it will certainly help." Reese agreed,"But this is a one person bag. To keep it light all the supplies are on the small side. Even cooking for all of us would be difficult with these smaller tools."

Milo deflated slightly. 

"Hey, it's way more then we had." J.C encouraged. Milo looked reassured and shuffled through his pockets. 

"I don't think I have anything else. Lets see... Yeah, I've just got the money my parents gave me for emergencies and a cellphone."

"A CELLPHONE!?" The kids all yelled in unison. 

Milo jumped, then pouted. "No. I'm only allowed to use this for emergencies."

They all stared at him for a minute. "M... Milo, we are trapped underground! This is the definition of an emergency!" 

"Oh..." His eyes widened as he looked at the device in his hand. "Oh! I have a cellphone!" They all crowded in around him as he started dialing. "I'm going to call my parents!" 

"We should call the police!"

"There might not be any service down here..."

"Does anyone have the camps number?"

"I want to call my dad when we're done."

"Lets order a pizza. They can get here in thirty minutes or less, right?" 

The phone got through and started to ring. Milo lit up when someone picked up. "Mom! It's me, there's-"

On the other end was a strange voice. ["Thank you for calling the Slip 'n Slide hotline! All our representatives are purple today and cannot take any calls. Please call again tomorrow."]

"..." Milo hung up and tried again. This time a squeaky woman answered. 

["Weather for tomorrow calls for bow ties and galoshes. Please dress appropriately."]

"Did you forget your parents number? Let me try," Lu called 911. ["Joke of the day: 'How many penguin does it take to screw in a light bulb?' ...Whats a penguin?"] "Milo, I think you're phone is broken."

"Here, I know the camp number," [Thank you for calling, I get very lonely. Please call again."] "There seems to be some interference..."

["This number only exists in your imagination! Please hang up and have a nice day!"] "I think we need a new plan."

"Well, it is connecting to something," Reese pointed out. "That's better then nothing. Maybe we'll be able to get through somewhere else. I'll hold onto this and keep trying as we travel, if that's okay with you?"

Milo nodded, a little disappointed they weren't able to get a hold of anyone, but at least now they had some sort of an opportunity. "Sure! I'd forget to use it anyways."

"Alright, everyone: Turn out your pockets." Max demanded. "Let see if anyone else has anything useful." They settled into a circle in the center of the room, the Digimon moving in close to observe. "I've only got my telescope and a handful of that candy we found. I left everything else in the cabin back home.”

"I left everything too..." J.C said a little disappointed. "I've got some gum..." 

"Other then my camping guide, I also have... a notebook and my computer, although I don’t have any way to access internet,” Reese shrugged. “I've got my wallet and stuff like that, but I'm not sure how relevant those will be."

Lu opened her duffel with a sad expression. "I only grabbed this because I was going to squeeze in some practice before the next activity. My other bag had better camping stuff. I don't even have my regular shoes, just my ballet ones. I have my tutu and a first aid kit. It's a really good kit, though. I packed it myself because everyone at my practice is always unprepared." She pulled out a box that was crammed full of bandages, creams, and one-time-use ice-packs. "But it's a big bag. We can use it carry other supplies when we find them."

"My dad gave me some useful stuff to bring to camp," Yvette said, digging into her overall pockets and pulled items one at a time. "I've got a compass, binoculars, whistle... I've got my knife, and-"

"A knife!?" Lu gasped, when the little black pocket knife joined the pile. She reached for it, but Yvette quickly slapped her hand over it and yanked it back. "You shouldn't have a knife. You're too little!" 

Yvette frowned. "It's mine."

Lu wavered, then held out her hand with a placating smile. "You should give it to one of us big kids. Knives can be very dangerous."

Yvette opened her other hand. "Here. You can have the Swiss army one. I don't know what most of those do."

"Why do you have two!?" 

"And a lighter."

"Why!?" 

"In case of emergencies."

She held out her hand seriously, but Yvette held them tighter. "Come on. Really. They're dangerous."

"well, hold on."Aster argued. "those are hers. she's had them this whole time, right? doesn't seem like she's hurt anything."

She winced, sitting up. "Milo!"

"Oh! Um... Lu's probably right. I'm only allowed to use knives for cooking when someone is watching me."

"Can I see it?" Reese asked. "I promise I'll give it back." She hesitated, but handed it over. It was a small knife, practically a toy. The blade was dulled from use, but it would still cut well enough. "How long have you had it?"

"Long time. My dad gave it to me. Taught me how to use it." 

"We shouldn't just take it..." J.C. said, although he was also uncomfortable with her having it. Frisk thought it seemed important. Max thought it was better to keep out of it. 

Reese handed it back, much to Lu's horror. "I think you should give it to one of us," Yvette's face fell. "Just for a few days. We will definitely give it back and I think it would make Lu feel a lot better. This is a big kid decision, but I think we should let you make it."

The others didn't argue with him, although the looks of reluctance floated around in abundance. Yvette looked at the knife. 

"your choice, kiddo."

Finally, she held both knives and the lighter to Lu, then pulled out the smallest clear case with a couple of sharp hooks and some fishing line for her as well. "That's it..."

Lu sighed, relieved. "Thank you. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"No," She said softly. "I get it..."

"That was very mature, Yvette." Reese told her and she smiled, feeling a little better. 

“So, what about you, Frisk?” Max asked, bringing them back on topic. "What do you have in your pockets?"

Frisk pulled out the Hot Potato. It was cold. 

Max laughed. "Alrighty, then. I guess that's it." Reese looked at them. Frisk hadn't brought a bag with them to camp. But they had only just gotten there. He didn't say anything. 

“We’ve gone over our supplies.” J.C said. “Now what?” 

Lu sighed reluctantly. "We should get some rest to today. Then, since it sounds like we're going to leave, we'd better gather food and supplies, and figure out how to get out of the Ruins."

“Sweet! Game plan! Tomorrow we're gonna explore, then we're off to the castle to break the Barrier!“ Max shouted. He and J.C high-fived while the Digimon and Frisk cheered. 

“I’m not looking forward to this at all…“ Lu whined. 

. . .

"Are you all going off to bed then?" Toriel smiled at them as they nodded. "Alright, then. Do you need anything? Waters? A bedtime story?"

Frisk threw up their arms. They wanted a hug. She knelt down and gave them a big one, squeezing them tightly.

"I only have the two bedrooms for you," Toriel observed, letting go. "If you'd prefer to sleep separately, Frisk, I quite frequently fall asleep in my chair. You can use my room until we figure out a better solution."

Frisk quickly opened their month to refuse to take her bed, when an arm draped over them and pulled them back. Lu held them close, voice firm but shaking as she stood up against the goat woman. "Frisk going to stay with us. R-Right, Frisk?"

They nodded eagerly.

Toriel couldn't have missed Lu's defensiveness, but she didn't mention it. "Wonderful." She stood up. "Then I will see you all in the morning. Good night, My Children."

They all said good night, before heading back down the hall. 

"Okay! Boys in one, girls in the other?" Max asked. 

"No." Lu vetoed immediately. "We should stay together tonight, until we're sure it's safe."

J.C turned bright red. "W-What!? W-With y-? I don't think that's a good idea!"

"No, she's right." Reese agreed. "The girls should definitely stay with us." J.C. looked betrayed. 

"Cool," Max laughed. "Grandma says I cant go to sleepovers with girls."

They split up to start gathering extra blankets and things from the other room and Reese paused at the door. "You gonna be okay?" He asked, quietly. 

J.C took a deep breath, before smiling nervously. "I... should be okay for one night..."

Hapstablook floated around him as Frisk came out with an armful of pillows. "There is absolutely no need to be nervous!" He announced loudly. "I don't think anyone else has even noticed your crush on Lu!"

J.C. paled immediately. He turned quickly to Frisk, who gave him a big thumbs up and watched his turn rather tomato-like. "Hapsta-! I d-don't-! Fri-! T-That's not tru-!" He ran past Reese, "That's not even true!" 

"Don't be mad, Darling~! I support you completely~!" Hapstablook chased after him. Reese just shrugged. Frisk laughed. 

. . .

Frisk woke up to a gloved hand thumping them in the head. They were sleeping in a pile of blankets on the floor with Hapstablook, Shyren, Rue, and MK. Max was sprawled next to them, half off the blankets, one leg up over MK's tail, and hand now flat over Frisk's face. He must have crawled down after everyone fell asleep just like Frisk had. 

They took his hand and placed it on MKs face instead. It was still very dark. Shyren and Rue were snuggled up against their back and Hapstblook was using their hair as a blanket. MK had been boxing them in earlier, but was now half arched backward towards Max, like she was drawn to his presence. It made it easier for Frisk to escape the cuddle pile. 

The other kids were sleeping soundly. Lu and Yvette were sharing one of the lower bunks, with Blaster and Aster squished between them, although they had been on Yvettes other side when they’d gone to bed. In the bunk above them, Reese was clinging, koala-like to J.C. who was spread out like Max, snoring lightly. The other lower bunk was empty. That one had been Frisk’s before they’d gotten lonely and climbed in with the Digimon. Above them, was Milo and not Max, who had also moved. He seemed happier sleeping alone. 

Frisk padded past them and shuffled into the living-room.

Toriel was asleep in her chair, anyways. A book open in her lap, like she had been reading by the light of the dimming firelight. Frisk reached for her arm, but stopped them self. They probably shouldn't wake her. She would probably get mad. Sighing softly, they turned to head back to bed. 

"Mmm... My Child...?"

"S-Sorry..." Frisk muttered with a wince. 

"No, no," Toriel yawned, stretching and putting the book off to the side. "That’s perfectly alright. You can always wake me if you need something. Now, what is it you need, Little One?"

Frisk shuffled closer and when she opened her arms they scrambled up onto her lap. She was soft and when she wrapped her arms around them, they snuggled up into the warm embrace. 

"Trouble sleeping?” She asked. 

Frisk shook their head and played with their fingers. 

She hummed. "Would you like to hear about the book I'm reading?" They nodded. "It's a book about snail facts. Did you know, that snails actually like to eat dinner together?" She smiled, snuggling them into the crook of her arm and nuzzling them affectionately. "They like to share the same food source with other snails. Isn’t that interesting? How about another one? Did you know-?"

"Toriel?" Frisk interrupted. She didn't seem to mind 

"Yes, My Child?"

They hesitated. "I..." They touched their digivice in their pocket. "Can you... could you be my Digimon?" 

Toriels smile faded to concern, then empathy. "Oh... my child..." She hugged them tightly. 

"P-Please? I can be a really good partner. I p-promise. I'll learn how, really. I’ll-“

"Shhh... I'm sorry my child." She cupped their face and looked at them. "I would be very proud to be your partner. However, your partner is special. You can't pick them." At their crestfallen look, she kissed them gently. "You’re partner is waiting for you to find them, Frisk. They will be awfully sad if give up on them.”

Frisk gasped, scrambling to erase a pain they hadn’t yet inflicted. “I’m not giving up on them!” They promised. 

Toriel laughed. “I know you aren't. They are waiting for you.”

Frisk nodded, feeling filled to the brim with determination. "I'll find them,” they promised firmly. Toriel seemed satisfied. Frisk pet the soft fur on her hand. Even if she wasn't able to be their Digimon, they hoped they would be able to see her a lot in the future after they broke the Barrier. They almost wanted to stay with her, but they couldn’t. Their friends needed them. Their Digimon was looking for them. "Toriel, what if my Digimon isn’t in the ruins?"

Toriels expression faulted, but only for a second. "It's late,” she said softly, brushing their hair aside. “Why don’t you head back to bed? You have a long day of searching tomorrow. Would you like a story before you go?"

Frisk shook their head. The faster to bed, the faster they could find their partner! Toriel gave them another kiss and sent them on their way. 

Frisk climbed back into the Digimon snuggle-pile, already dreaming about their adventure in the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think about my story so far! Comments and Kudos are greatly appreciated!


End file.
